“You Are Here”: Talent Search Helps (Twice) Exceptional Student Succeed

It is part of human nature for every parent to think their child is special. When our first born son came into this world, my husband and I were no exception. Everything he said and did seemed amazing. When he began school, however, we started to suspect that our perception of his abilities was not just parental pride. Rick seemed to be, in fact, exceptionally intelligent. Naively, we assumed this would mean his educational career would be a breeze. We soon discovered that Rick’s ability to learn and his thirst for knowledge were a poor match for the typical elementary curriculum.

For years we advocated for Rick’s needs within our suburban Ohio district with limited success. He was placed in some gifted programs but still seemed distracted and under-challenged. A move to the Chicago suburbs, however, turned out to be an opportunity to look for a school that could meet his needs. Rick had recently participated in Midwest Talent Search for Young Students. The results from that test (EXPLORE) had clarified what he needed educationally and we chose our school district accordingly. With MTSY recommendations in hand, I called and asked questions about options for gifted kids. I offered to provide test scores, including talent search scores. If a district was unfamiliar with the talent search, that alone spoke volumes on their awareness level. We selected a district with a full time magnet program for the top 2% of their students and used EXPLORE test scores, along with IOWA Test of Basic Skills scores to get him placed in it. We were fortunate that this district believed in placement by ability, rather than grades. Rick’s years of discontent with school and issues yet to be diagnosed had taken a toll on his report card.

The challenge and high expectations were a shock to a young man who had not been significantly challenged before. But soon, he was intellectually full of life. He was discussing things in school that fascinated him. He was meeting other children who did not at all think it was odd to be interested in complex strategy games or allegories. In many ways, he was home. The three years he spent in that program were absolutely critical to his future success. Being challenged and being with gifted peers during a time when his brain was developing rapidly, made a huge difference to Rick. It changed how he saw himself and how he saw school. It was humbling to be in a class where kids just as smart and more, who had been in this program for several years, were achieving at very high levels. He went through a time when he did not feel smart at all, but eventually discovered what his truly exceptional gifts were. Rick tells the story of a time when groups were being used within this class for geometry. To his surprise, his teacher placed him with the best of the best math students and assigned them the hardest proof. His teacher’s apparent vision of his abilities and his success in this group made him realize that his math talent was, indeed, extraordinary. Today he competes on Wisconsin’s state math team.

However, my theory that all Rick needed was a challenging program, was falling apart. He was learning, but his grades were highly inconsistent. He continued to be disorganized, impulsive, unfocused, and awkward. That summer, Dr. Steve Zecker spoke at the CTD Opportunities for the Future conference about underachieving gifted children. So few professionals understand the highly gifted, that I was not willing to take just anyone’s advice at this point. Dr. Zecker, however, had credibility in his understanding of gifted children and his talk opened my mind to the possibility that Rick had another issue. After the conference, he answered my questions and put us on the path to help. In the 7th grade, Rick was diagnosed with inattentive ADD.

When both exceptionalities, gifted and ADD, were understood and attended to, Rick was on his way. His achievement, as measured by the ACT through MTS, jumped in 8th grade and he began high school ready to succeed. Possibilities for his future that had once faded were opening up again. Seeing a great ACT score in 8th grade, allowed us to relax and shift our parenting focus. Knowing he would score well, our emphasis for high school changed to social growth and involvement in activities.
When it was time for Rick to take the ACT for keeps as a junior, there was no need for nerves. He had seen it before and he knew exactly what to expect. We never even considered spending our money on preparation classes. Instead, he got a good night’s sleep, took a relaxed attitude, and ended up with a perfect 36. When he puts his college applications together this fall he’ll be able to add the activities and service work that we pushed when we knew the scores would be strong. He has something special to contribute to the world and he is well positioned to do so.

In the end Rick never took a single CTD course, but benefited from MTS in other ways. The world of exceptional education is difficult to navigate. For us, the talent search shed light on the map and gave us that little red arrow that says “you are here.” Out of level testing answered questions like “How gifted are we talking?” and “Does one area stand out from the others?” It made it apparent that his academic needs were significantly different than average. It also showed us when real growth was happening in a way that tests with ceilings would not have been able to.
The postscript to Rick’s story is that it changed my life too. The lobbying I did for gifted children made me passionate about education and I decided to become an educator myself. This fall after laying aside my former career and returning to graduate school, I will be student teaching as a final step towards certification for grades 1-8. I will continue to press the needs of gifted children to anyone willing to listen, while I change my own corner of the world by serving individual children in my own classroom.

Karen Eyers is a mother of four children in Mequon, Wisconsin and a former computer support specialist. A gifted education advocate for more than ten years, she wrote a newsletter for parents on gifted issues for three.